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Best Sports & Outdoors Books for 12 Year Olds

Here are the top 30 sports & outdoors books for 12 year olds. Please click Read Review to read book reviews on Amazon. You can also click Find in Library to check book availability at your local library. If the default library is not correct, please follow Change Local Library to reset it.

After breaking or tying more than sixty records in hockey, it’s no wonder that Wayne Gretzky is known as “The Great One.” Born in Brantford, Ontario, on January 26, 1961, in a nation obsessed with the sport, he threw himself into the game practically from the time he first laced up a pair of skates. When he retired from the NHL in 1999, he had led several teams to Stanley Cup victories, competed in the Olympics, and changed the way hockey was played forever. Known for his love for family and as a truly decent human being, Wayne Gretzky is revealed as more than a sports legend in this easy-to-read biography.

From the editors of Sports Illustrated Kids comes The Big Book of Who: Basketball, a 128-page collection of basketball’s brightest stars, past and present. Profiles, facts and stats will bring the best players in pro basketball history to life with all of the classic touches that Sports Illustrated Kids is famous for–terrific, age-appropriate writing and exciting sports photography. Court greats from Lebron James to Michael Jordan, Candace Parker to Allen Iverson, Shaq to Magic Johnson, will be profiled. Written in a fun question and answer format, kids will be able to stump their friends.

The Big Book of Who: Basketball is a book young sports fans will return to again and again as a lively, exciting resource.

In Freddy Goes Camping, Mr. Camphor’s aunts, Minerva and Elmira, were staying with him, much to his disgust.

“There’s two kinds of aunts,” he said. “There’s the regular kind, and then there’s the other kind. Mine are the other kind.” He enlists Freddy’s aid in an attempt to rid his house of the ladies, with the result that Freddy and his chums become entangled with some extremely unfriendly ghosts in an abandoned summer hotel. Freddy camps out, goes canoeing, and tosses flapjacks like a pro when he’s not mixing it up with the eerie Mr. Eha.

Wages Creek is meant to be read while listening to the audio book, which is available for download from audible.com. The author does all thevoices, and wrote all the music. His wife, Karen Kiser, does all theillustrations.

There was once a campground on the Northern California coast where a fresh, bubbling stream met the vast Pacific Ocean. The sandy beach was large, the grasses were tall and soft, three ducks had a problem, one man had a cold, and a horseshoe pit was in the middle of the solution. This is the story of a trip my family took to Wages Creek.

Skylar Diggins is a basketball phenomenon, receiving her first letter of interest from a respected college coach when she was in fifth grade. She is an icon: signing as the first female client of Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports, serving as the face of Nike’s Women’s Basketball Collection, and establishing herself as a must-follow on social media platforms such as Instagram (931,000 followers) and Twitter (604,000 followers).

The Middle School Rules of Skylar Diggins features Skylar’s defining childhood stories and lessons about growing up in a diverse middle-class family. Young readers will learn how Skylar dealt with bullying, struggled to fit in at school, and figured out how to excel in basketball despite never being the tallest, strongest, or fastest player.

Skylar shares personal anecdotes that helped her become the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year and one of the most decorated collegiate basketball players. “She was the most important recruit in the history of our program,” Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach, Muffet McGraw, says. “Skylar was in our own backyard, and we couldn’t let her get away.” Skylar Diggins did not disappoint.

A four-time All-American, Skylar finished her career at Notre Dame owning or co-owning 32 game, season, or school records, and earned the distinction as one of just six NCAA Division 1 players to compile 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists, and 300 steals in a career. In the WNBA, Skylar, is starting guard for the Dallas Wings, a two-time All Star Starter, WNBA’s 2014 Most Improved Player and Named to WNBA’s 2014 First Team.

Off the court, she oversees Skylar’s Scholars, a program that highlights the academic achievement of youth who have overcome challenges or achieved goals, and she serves on the board of directors for the GenYouth Foundation. Aside from sports mediums like ESPN and Sports Illustrated, Skylar has also been featured in Vogue and Self, and has been on MTV.

Motocross is the sport of racing off-road motorcycles. Riders complete several laps around a course of jumps, turns, hills, and bumps. After learning how to ride a dirt bike safely, many kids decide to race. Racing is tough—but with dedication, practice, and patience, anyone can become a dirt bike racer!

This story will teach your child that something magical can happen when you try to see the best in every situation. You make new friends… and discover that clouds do taste like ice-cream!Pete is an ordinary elephant with an EXTRA-ordinary gift. But he is alone in a forest where he suddenly found himself, one rainy afternoon. How he got there and will he remain alone forever and ever? A heartwarming read.This is Book 1 in Happy Friends Series and where it all begins.Book 2 in Happy Friends Series: Little Tail and the Snow

Friendship regardless differences. Friendship in diversity

One Letter at a Time is the inspirational story of Rick Hoyt told from his perspective and those he’s inspired. Though born a non-verbal spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, Rick worked diligently with co-author, Todd Civin, to share stories from his incredible life using his one letter at a time method of speaking. Hoyt, together with his equally inspirational father, Dick Hoyt, has competed in nearly 1100 athletic events including thirty Boston Marathons.

Buck Wilder has ten books about nature and how we are connected to everything around us. His four hard covers books, Buck Wilder’s Fishing Guide, Hiking & Camping Guide , Boating Guide and Animal Wisdom are for kids of all ages. Each is filled with fun facts and interesting highlights of nature, wild imaginative drawings, and secret hidden characters on each page. Buck Wilder’s ten chapter books are written for the early reader – early elementary level of reading. Each book is filled with fun illustrations, hidden messages, and an unique story about our outside world and how we can have fun with it. His books have sold 500,000 copies with his most popular title being ” Who Stole the Animal Poop?”

Connor’s summer is off to a rough start: the camp bus almost crashes, his cabin mates don’t trust him, and the girls on the other side of the camp constantly outsmart him. But when he and his friends Tasha, Parker, and Kimberly investigate the mystery surrounding the “Ghost of Dead Billy,” they begin a hilarious adventure that is worlds away from your typical campfire story.

“A wild and zany camping adventure that will leave you begging for more. A must read for middle graders looking for something out of the ordinary.”– Dorine White, author of The Awakening & Cleopatra’s Legacy series

In the tradition of The Dangerous Book for Boys, a visually dazzling compendium of practical knowledge, fascinating trivia, and worldly wisdom for young boys—designed as a charming and informal full-color family scrapbook treasured by generations of one family at their Adirondack summer camp.

On a late summer afternoon, while rustling around in his family’s Adirondack cabin, a boy named Charlie Whistler finds a dusty cloth-bound scrapbook. It is the Omnium Gatherum, a colorful, illustrated grab bag of stories, arcana, and much more, faithfully collected over generations by Charlie’s father, grandfather, and generations of Whistlers before them.

Its pages hold a universe of age-old wisdom, from the simple—how to tie a slipknot—to the esoteric—how to find your way in the forest, or predict the tides—to the exotic—how to understand simple phrases in dozens of languages.

Charlie Whistler’s Omnium Gatherum is a delightful, ceaselessly readable, and unique gift book for boys of all ages: a nostalgic evocation of American childhood, a keepsake for modern fathers to hand down to their sons, and an irresistible, page-turning read for everyone who loves to lose themselves in the world of imagination.

The first three chapters in this book–Animal Dangers, Natural Dangers, and Human Hazards–describe what to do in a total of 24 specific emergencies. The fourth chapter, Basic Survival Skills, has 14 important tips on emergency preparedness and survival skills.

Children like to feel in control. Knowing what to do in the case of an emergency increases the chance of survival and it also reduces fear. Even if readers never venture beyond the front door, they will enjoy Ultimate Survival Guide for Kids.

Follow along with Wyatt as he goes on his first whitetail hunt with his Grandpa. In this exciting journey, Wyatt’s morals, hunting intelligence, and firearm skills are put to the test as he experiences firsthand what it takes to be a sportsman. If you are a parent or grandparent who wants to keep the tradition of hunting alive, this is the perfect book for you. It is an enjoyable way for children to learn about hunting, respect, and the glories of being outside. “Wyatt’s First Whitetail,” has 26 beautifully illustrated pages. For the kindle version, it appears as 12 open face book pages. “Wyatt’s First Whitetail,” has been approved by Dr. Deer, one of the world’s foremost leaders in whitetail management. Visit http://www.whitetailpress.com to learn more.

Let them go outside and play! More parents are heeding the advice of specialists who urge them to do just that. By playing outside with friends, kids learn valuable interpersonal and negotiation skills and how to make decisions. Outdoor play teaches about the natural world, fosters creativity, and encourages physical activity.

101 Things For Kids To Do Outside is ideal for parents, teachers, and all those working with youth. This book is ideal for the children who like gaming, TV, movies, the soft couch, and even too many snacks. The kids who believe “there’s nothing to do outside” can learn and be encouraged to experience the joy of outdoor play.

Each activity is described in language easy for a 6- to 9-year-old and illustrated with engaging graphics. Younger children may need direction, at least the first time. Large pictures display all the fun to be had. The activities range from 10 minutes to hours and hours of fun. Some require creativity, make-believe or physical exertion but they are all outside. Perfect for rainy days, sunshiny days, even snowy days.

Just before they’re due to start middle school, Diego, Gig, Jackson, and Isaac, four sports-loving friends, all attend the same weeklong soccer camp. Diego is an experienced soccer player, and Gig has a natural ability for the sport he never realized. But Jackson and Isaac are split into another group of players?a group with younger, smaller kids. For the first time, both boys aren’t the stars of their team. In fact, they can’t seem to get a handle on soccer. At the same time, Jackson is having a hard time getting a handle on his mom’s deepening relationship with her boyfriend, and her suggestion that they move in with him. And Gig is worried about his father’s deployment to Afghanistan.

Here is a story about how life, like sports, can be unpredictable, frustrating, and exhilarating. Eyes on the Goal by John Coy is part of the 4 for 4 series, an action-packed middle grade series for young readers about four boys from diverse backgrounds who deal with family, friendship, and school situations.

“Light, enjoyable reading for those downtimes between sports seasons.” ?Booklist

“Coy has created a story of just the right length to keep his fans engaged. It is not necessary to have read Top of the Order to appreciate this one. Hints of fall football in middle school indicate that a third book is to follow.” ?School Library Journal

tags:

Children’s Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Friendship, Social Skills & School Life > Friendship

Hidden deep within the most secret of secret chambers was a magical book filled with daring and adventurous games for boys and girls. For years, many feared this book had been lost… until now.

The Adventurous Book of Outdoor Games contains a treasure trove of the best neighborhood games invented by children since the beginning of time. This book is your passkey to a world of secret missions, last-minute victories, and thrilling chases.

The fourth book in the best-selling Sports Illustrated Kids Top 10 series, Face-Off: Top 10 Lists of Everything in Hockey, ranks the best players, shooters, slap shots, and toothless smiles in the NHL. With over 150 different players and teams ranked in more than 15 different categories, this fun look at the greatest aspects of the NHL will serve as the ultimate argument-ender (or debate-starter!) for young hockey fans. Don’t miss the other books in the Top 10 series from Sports Illustrated Kids: The Top 10 Lists of Everything in Sports, 1st and 10: Top 10 Lists of Everything in Football, and Slam Dunk!: Top 10 Lists of Everything in Basketball.

Zoey’s summer is going to be busy—but can she survive it without blogging? Includes “Sew Zoey” blog posts and fashion illustrations.

In the seventh book in the Sew Zoey series, it’s almost summer vacation, and Zoey Webber won’t exactly be taking it easy. First she’s going to New York to meet her favorite fashion designer and spend the day at her design studio. Then she’s staying for an action-packed weekend in the city that never sleeps. And the fun doesn’t stop there: she and her friend Priti are going to sleepaway camp for the first time! The camp has canoeing, crafts…and a “no technology” rule. How will Zoey survive six weeks without sewing and blogging?

Effie has been waiting forEVER for St. Dom’s special fourth-grade camp. Could there be anything more thrilling than an entire week with her two best friends? But when her big sister Maxey (Bosszilla) ends up working there, Camp Oh-So-Perfect turns into Camp Calamity. And Effie has to figure out how to hide the fact that she’s not, um, the greatest swimmer. She can’t even float. But she better learn fast, because she just HAS to be named Outstanding Camper of the Week and win back her family’s good name! (And she is N-O-T homesick. Completely and totally not even.)

In the all-new hardcover Mom, There’s A Dinosaur in Beeson’s Lake, fourth grader Scab McNally is convinced he glimpsed some kind of swamp creature while fishing on Beeson’s Lake, but his mom won’t let him find proof until he passes a swimming class. Scab is NOT ready for the deep end of the pool, so it’s back to his top-secret lab to diagram some special schemes and plans for the occasion.

tags:

Children’s Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > Siblings

Join Luke and his dad in The Muddy Elk, as they return to the mountains of Colorado in search of majestic elk. This bonding, father and son journey is stacked with hard work, close encounters and adventure. Follow along with Luke as he applies his knowledge from past hunts and finds himself three steps away from a giant elk. It’s a standoff you won’t want to miss.

This fun-filled guide inspires kids to get out of the house and explore the great outdoors where they can discover the wonder and amazement of the world around them, whether in their backyard, across the country, or around the world. Full of fun activities, kids will learn how to make backyard bird baths, explore their local state parks, participate in an outdoor community event, and much more. Activities for every season, spring, summer, winter, and fall will be included to keep kids engaged all throughout the year. And some rainy day actitiveis will also be presented. Fun facts, lists, and sidebars supplement activities to help put information into geographic, scientific, and/or historical context, to help kids dig deeper and learn more.

Sports Illustrated Baseball is a complete and sate-of-the-art teaching guide by one of the nation’s foremost college coaches. Former Major Leaguer Jerry Kindall shows you:The keys to improving you hitting, running, fielding, and throwingHow to pitch, catch, and play the infield and outfieldEight unique batting drills and how to make them work for youSix plays any serious infielder should know22 defensive stituations and how your team should handle them

When a warm March day beckons Aldo and his best friend, Jack, outdoors to their fort under the giant pine tree, stick-in-the-mud Aldo gets, well, stuck in the mud. As they dig Aldo’s sneakers out from the embankment, they unearth a humungous bone, which rock-hound Jack believes to be a dinosaur fossil from the Jurassic period.

Their hilarious quest to figure out the bone’s origin and value takes them to the nearby university, the local pawn shop, the famous dino dig site a few hours away, and finally, over spring break, to Dinosaur National Monument.

Meanwhile, Aldo discovers the Indiana Jones movies, writes a book report on Journey to the Center of the Earth, starts in on a jumbo jawbreaker, and tolerates Bee, whose newfound passion for journalism could make or break him.

This tenth installment in an A-to-Z alphabet series also includes a glossary of fun and challenging ?J words,” such as juju, jocular and jinx.

After Inheriting legendary time travel skills from their Papa Lewis, Tommy “Bubba Jones,” and his sister Jenny “Hug-a-Bug,” embark on a Shenandoah National Park adventure to solve a family mystery. From the moment they reach the park entrance, the excitement begins. As they follow the clues, they travel back in time hundreds, thousands, and millions of years and come face to face with extinct creatures, endangered species, the areas first inhabitants, past presidents, former park residents, and some of the park founders. They travel deep down into mountain hollows, high up onto Talus mountain slopes, and discover more about the Shenandoah than they ever imagined. Explore the Shenandoah with Bubba Jones and family in a whole new way.

All children love having friends, which is why this young boy’s best friend is… his football! His football flies in the air, rolls over the muddy ground, acts as a chair and even cuddles at night when our boy wants him to. But, one day, at the park his football decides to go for a roll on its own – past the pond, past the lake and far down the grassy hill. Our young boy runs to catch his ball, getting dirty and full of mud, before it becomes lost forever or taken by someone else. After a long day he learns how important it is to keep his best friend close to him… and clean! This rhyming story for young children is not only filled with wonderful illustrations, it’s also an inspiring story for active learners, teachers and parents, and much fun to read out aloud. Please be advised that this eBook has been formatted to best suit Kindle Fire FHX (portfolio mode). While every attempt has been made to perfect the formatting to suit each device, the display of content may well be different according to device type.